The topics of this blog are Armand-Jean du Plessis, Cardinal Duke of Richelieu, and the IDEAL CITY built on his command next to his magnificent CHÂTEAU on the borders of Touraine, Anjou and Poitou, in France.

Tuesday, 22 November 2011

The Cinéma Majèstic redevelopment progresses and it has now re-opened for pubic use. Unfortunately, the Abbé Henri Proust was busy with pastoral visits on the nights that had the new film of the adventures of Belgian boy-detective, TINTIN, in the new 3-D version. The cinema has had to be updated to allow the latest in projection technology to filter down to this little town of la france profonde.

Look HERE for a link to former posts on the project A, Cinéma Majestic.

Project B

The town's tourist office is to be relocated to a building adjacent to the church, on the place du marché. The building is one of the original hotêls particulars that until recently was known by the name of the shop formerly located on its ground floor, Le Grand Colbert. The façade has been reconstructed and refenestrated in the authentic original layout. The roof repaired and newly slated. Half of the mansion is in the ownership of a lady in Chicago, they say, but now that part too needs a scrub-up, and needs a new ground floor tenant as well.

Look HERE to see other posts on project B, Le Grand Colbert.

Project C

The town's hotel, le Puits Doré, is extending its property. Although the scaffold is still in place while the faced works continue, the newly restored roof can now bee seen complete with matching lucarnes - roof lights. As this building is fully 'listed', all the materials must be authentic, in this case expensive roofing slates.

Another dilapidated hôtel particular on the Grande Rue is now under restoration, this time on the western side, above the former tourist office. The dreadful old roof is under repair - as architects say; 'always protect from water coming down and water coming up!'

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what is the purpose of this web-site?

This web-log site is an English language sign-post to the current developments in this unique IDEAL CITY built originally for

Armand-Jean du Plessis,cardinal duc de Richelieu,

to designs of Jacques Lemercier and his brothers between the years 1631 and 1642 : to British readers in the rule of Charles I, and just before the English Civil War: to North Americans at the time of the French colonial initiatives in 'Acadie' (Nova Scotia) and of the English in Virginia.

The pretty walled and moated seventeenth century town of RICHELIEU remains today the most complete French urban design project of the age of King Louis XIII and the stories of Alexandre Dumas' THE THREE MUSKETEERS.

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The older 'posts' or entries can be selected either by using the individual 'TOPICS' or 'ARCHIVE' buttons below, or by clicking on 'OLDER POSTS' at the foot of the page...... There are more than 590 posts there now.